EA Hit NEW LOW - In-Game TV Ads Removed From UFC 4 After Backlash
Another controversy, another U-turn.
EA is no stranger to controversy - especially when it comes to sports games - and the publisher has found itself in hot water yet again following the release of UFC 4. The MMA title dropped in August, however has since seen the inclusion of in-game advertisements that play during the replays of the fights.
Picked up on Reddit and reported by journalists, fans noticed they were getting intrusive adverts for Amazon Prime's The Boys TV show (a sponsor that also shows up as a logo printed on the in-game octagon). The backlash was immediate, with onlookers viewing the move as sneaky, especially considering the feature wasn't in the game at launch.
Adding in monetary practices after launch to avoid a scandal in reviews is an insidious practice that has gained traction in recent years, with prime offender Activision receiving plenty of heat from launching microtransaction stores in games weeks after they launch, again in the hopes to bypass putting off the eager wave of launch-day buyers.
Hoping to avoid any major controversy, EA has since removed the replay adds from the game with a patch, alongside a statement to Eurogamer apologising for the lack of communication surrounding their inclusion in the first place. The company has conceded that it was a mistake, and won't be reintroducing them in the future.